His Neighbour's Daughter
by Wynteraeon
Summary: His neighbour's daughter. The story of Jake and Sam, from childhood to adulthood. Oneshot. Sake.


His neighbour's daughter.

His neighbour was a good man. He gave him a job, a good job, when he knew all he would get at home were the worst chores. Fixing the chicken coop fence, gathering eggs, etc, etc. The youngest child's work. Here he got to work with wild horses; mustangs…the fire in them fascinated the young boy. Their speed, independence, but most of all their passion; their liveliness, that vigour and spirit that made them what they were. That made them famous.

He was allowed to help his neighbour with them. He would brush them, clean them, train them and walk them. And sometimes when they were just right, he would ride them. Yes, his neighbour was a good man. His neighbour's daughter, however, wasn't a good girl.  
Sam. What kind of a name was that for a girl? Then again, the small, pig-tailed, red-head didn't look much like a girl at all. Her faded, blue denim overalls were spattered with mud as was her tan, freckled face. Blue eyes sparkled mischievously and an impish grin always graced her porcelain features.

Imp was actually a nice portrayal of the little girl who got into everything. She would follow him always and everywhere, asking why and how and what. Her squeaky, childish voice irritated him and her constant shadow at his back was a nuisance. Wherever he went, there she was, nattering and chattering at him about this and that. Things he didn't care about. He was a big boy now, she was just a little kid and he didn't care about that little kid stuff anymore. Nope, he was all grown up and helping Mr Forster with the mustangs. Little kids didn't do that stuff. No sir.

"But why?"

"I don't know, Sam." Gritted teeth, barely squelched anger.

"But…why don't they stay with the babies and teach them to fly? Then they wouldn't fall outta the nest and get hurted." Small eyes filled with tears and her petite, upturned nose sniffed.

Hurted? That was baby talk.

"I don't know, Sam. Now leave me alone!" He couldn't stand this…this…childish child anymore. "Get lost!" He ignored the tears that cleaned trails in the diminutive girl's dirty face. He did, however, notice the little arms that wrapped themselves around his waist and the tiny weight suddenly flung upon him that caused him to lose his balance and fall to the ground. Anger flared up, hot and red like a bubble of lava inside his chest.

"You brat! Get off me, you stupid little…brat!" He couldn't say it enough. That was all she was. An annoying little brat.

Tiny clenched fists beat at his chest doing absolutely no damage, but her wounded expression made his heart feel remorseful.

"Take it back, you big bully!"

Not that remorseful.

"No, you're a brat."

Ok, actually, he didn't feel that bad at all.

"And that's what I'm gonna call you from now on! Brat."

Her lower lip quivered and she stomped one little foot, dust flaring up at the disturbance.

"I hate you Jake Ely! I'm always going to hate you! I wish you'd never been born so that Daddy wouldn't want you here and…and…so you wouldn't be mean to me anymore!" The amount of conviction from the 5 year old was astounding.

"Fine, get lost then, Brat."

She sniffed and turned on her heel, royally. With her nose in the air and her feet and arms swinging to a grand march only she could hear, little Samantha Forster strode away from her arch-nemesis hating the word Brat and that boy, Jake Ely, more than she could think possible.

His neighbour's daughter.

His neighbour was a great man. He'd known it all along. 11 years old and Jake was already breaking wild horses. Only Wyatt would let him do that. Well, Dad would, but they didn't train wild horses so he never had the chance at home. Besides, Mom would have a complete breakdown if he ever did the things he did here at home. He was pretty much grown up now, or at least almost grown up. He may still have been the baby of the family, but he was the bravest and most talented with Mustangs. Mr Forster…Wyatt…said he had an undeniable talent, not only for the wild, majestic animals, but for tracking their hoof prints as well as other wild animals. When the elder Forster had said that, Jake had felt about 10 feet tall. The encouragement from the older man boosted the young Ely's ego, giving him something to brag about to his brothers.  
His neighbour's daughter was not a great girl. She had transformed from an annoying baby to an even more infuriating 9 year old girl-child. Slightly taller, but still as petite as an infant, she remained as fiery as a stallion. Her long red hair remained in a permanent brain and her blue eyes had retained their energized sparkle. She continued to live up to her reputation as a nefarious shadow…actually just _his_ nefarious shadow. Ok, so not nefarious, but definitely an exasperating one. Her curiosity and number of questions had not dwindled and her love of story-telling was an ever-present nuisance. He'd found out her voracious appetite for tales when he was trying to get her to shut-up one time and he revealed to her one of his ancestral legends. She had sat quietly, immersed in the fantastic story, her blue eyes wide, her little mouth forming an "o" of anticipation at the exciting parts and her hands hovering in her lap, clasped together. Since then he hadn't been able to get her to stop talking about legends and stories, no matter what he tried. The one myth he'd told about people being reincarnations had had her red with excitement. Now she wouldn't stop asking him what people around her were.

"Dallas?"

A sigh of exasperation. "A bear."

"Daddy?"

"A cougar." None of them made sense, but to the young girl it was simply logic. Nothing could be more straight-forward.

"Your daddy?"

"A black bear."

"But wait, isn't Dallas a bear?"

"Yeah, but he's a different kind of bear. Black bears are more ferocious, like my dad." And he could make up anything; she would believe it. She believed everything he said.

Sam didn't disagree; Luke Ely could be frightening man when he wanted to be.

"Your mom?"

"A unicorn." Sarcasm laced his tone.

"What? Come on, there's no such thing!" Ok, maybe she didn't believe everything he said. Maybe if he said it with more fervour…

"You?"

"A mustang." That one fit right on the bill in his mind. Apparently she thought so too as her eyes lit up and her mouth opened to that little "o" shape she got when she was excited. Obviously she was hoping for the same sort of answer for herself.

"Me?"

Jake pretended to think hard for a second.

"A mosquito."

Her face fell and a look of hurt replaced her enthusiasm. She didn't cry as much anymore, but her anger was just as quick as it had always been. Her lower lip jutted out and her eyes flashed dangerously. Elfin arms crossed and her tiny foot stamped in the dust before she whirled around, like so many times before and left him standing there, smirking in self-satisfaction. Oh, how she hated the word mosquito and even more, she hated that conceited Jake Ely more than she thought possible.

His neighbour's daughter.

His neighbour was a great man. For several years now, Jake had been helping him train the majestic mustangs. In fact, he'd become so good at it, he was now training some of the younger colts by himself. Imagine that, a 13 year old horse-trainer and all-time professional tracker. Once, he had been called by Heck Ballard, the Sheriff, to aid the police in tracking cattle in a theft case. Since then everyone in town looked up to him; in school he was no longer made fun of for being so shy. The girls would sigh and giggle when he passed; the boys would slap him on the back or nod in his direction. He was basically a man now and even though his brothers still teased him mercilessly, there was a new respect that lingered in their words. He could see it in their dark brown eyes; so much like his own. Except his were "mustang" eyes…

His neighbour's daughter said that. She'd said it on more than one occasion as she looked up at him with her big, admiring blue eyes. She wasn't a bad kid…she was okay. She still followed him around, but she wasn't as annoying anymore. Not as many questions; instead they could sit in companionable silence and be comfortable. She said he was her best friend; he allowed it. He'd helped her train her horse, her little Blackie. Such a childish name for the black colt. He'd told her about the secret name and the bond it created between a horse and its owner. She still listened to everything he said. Did everything he asked too. That was why he liked having her around. Yup, that was the exact reason. The only reason. She always thought she could wrap him around her little finger, like she did with her dad and the other cowboys, but she really couldn't. Nope, he didn't let her get away with anything.

"Jake, please?" Her upturned face was a mask of innocence and her Bambi eyes were full of persuasion.

"No." Short and simple, that was how he rolled.

"Please? It wouldn't hurt anything. Let's just take him out into the field for a test ride."

"Brat, he's not even saddle-trained yet. He's hardly had a bridle on at all and he sure hasn't been ridden enough for you to be riding him. He's still wild and I know he would spook if we took him out right now." He pretended not to notice as she flinched at her dreaded nickname or as she tried to contain her anger and continue sweet-talking him.

"Please Jake; I really want to ride him." Her voice quivered slightly and her bottom lip trembled.

He wasn't giving in, he wasn't giving in…

"Fine, but you do exactly as I tell you to. Got it? We'll use a soft bridle, maybe like a ripped up shirt or something and you'll ride him bareback. I'll ride in front of you guys and make sure nothing goes wrong." He wasn't giving in, he wasn't, he was just…letting…well, he was…oh, stuff it. Besides, it was a just a little test ride, they weren't going to go far. What could possibly go wrong?

But it wasn't long and Jake was riding back as fast as he could to the ranch house hating himself more than he thought possible.

His neighbour's daughter.

His neighbour was a great man. 16 year old Jake had worked at Riverbend Ranch for most of his life and he enjoyed it. He'd become popular with the police and the Sheriff's department in helping with solving cases dealing with any type of tracks. At school, he was the best runner on the track team and yet still held one of the highest GPA's in the school. The other guys wanted to be him and the girls…well, the girls just wanted him.

But none of them were good enough. Nope, they didn't have what it took to capture his attention. They were whiny, simpering girls who all looked the same and acted the same. None of them had any spirit or fire at all. Sure, some of them were kind of pretty or "sexy," but none of them were beautiful. They all had this _used_ sort of look. None had the grit, the determination, the courage, the soul, the blue eyes…wait, no scratch that. What was he talking about? They just weren't good enough. That was it. He wasn't comparing them to any one. Especially not to his best friend; his neighbour's daughter who had just come back from San Francisco.

His neighbour's daughter. She was a good kid. A bit of a punk now, but that city-slicker would soon be pushed out of her by the sheer country-ness of her family…and of him. She'd come back a few days ago, he'd known she was coming, but not when exactly. Otherwise he wouldn't have been there when Wyatt came back with her. He'd been breaking a horse and had just been thrown off when he heard her voice…that annoying, gritting, sweet-sounding voice. No, not sweet. What was the matter with him? He couldn't think of her like that. She was his friend, his best friend. That was it. In fact, she probably hated him. Probably blamed him for what had happened. He had no right to lo…no. He wasn't going there. He wasn't going to think about _her_.

He walked out of the school and towards the truck he and his brothers shared. He glanced around…looking for…um…something. He just happened to notice her walking towards the school bus. Her new blond friend wasn't with her and she looked slightly lonely.

"Brat!" He wasn't sure why he was calling to her or why his traitorous hand was motioning her over. He didn't want to give her a ride home. What was he doing? People would talk, it would get annoying, it was just a hassle. And yet he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"You want a ride?"

Her beauti…ahem…energetic blue eyes lit up and she nodded enthusiastically. He looked at her now-quite-short hair and raised an eyebrow. She mirrored his stance, daring him to say something about it. He just shook his head and slipped into the truck. It was too short now…it was just…well, it was just too short. That was all.

"Too short." It was a long sentence for him. A waste of his breath.

Her anger flashed and she turned away from him to glare out her window. When they arrived at River Bend, she didn't even say "thank you." She just stepped out of the car, her feet stirring up the dust and sashayed into the house angrier at Jake than she thought possible.

His neighbour's daughter.

His neighbour was a great man. He'd let Jake work for him when he'd been young, he'd welcomed him in with open arms, giving him shelter and food when he needed it and another family even though he didn't need it. He'd given him the knowledge he needed to start his own ranch and he'd helped with the confidence Jake needed to become a successful police officer. He'd been there when Jake's own parents died in a car crash and when all but two of his brothers had left Darton for bigger and better things. He'd put an arm across his shoulders and helped with the funerals and with dealing with the will and property. He'd helped with everything, relieving Jake of much of the strain as he mourned for his beloved parents. And Jake had gotten through it. And then Jake had asked one of the hardest questions for a father to be asked. He'd asked for his neighbour's daughter. And his neighbour had said yes.

His neighbour's daughter was a wonderful woman. How had this happened? How had she become such an enigma? From an annoying child to his beautiful best friend. Yes, he was admitting it. He loved her! She was beautiful and fiery, passionate and loyal. Her long red hair was soft and silky, her ardent blue eyes still as curious as they'd been when she had been a child. Sure, she asked questions, sure, she got into trouble time and time again. But that was what made her Sam. That was what made him love her. And she was his, as she threw her arms around his neck, the sun glinting off her ring finger.

His neighbour's daughter.

His neighbour was a great man as he walked her down the aisle. He let go of her arm, lifted the white veil from her beautiful face and kissed her on the cheek. He gave Jake a smile, an obvious plea for him to take care of his daughter. Jake nodded and gently took her hand, staring down into those sparkling blue eyes, blazing with love for him.

His neighbour's daughter was the most wonderful woman as he swept his lips down to hers, claiming her as his wife and his best friend. Alone now, they walked hand in hand across the playa, away from River Bend Ranch and the party happening inside. He looked down at her lovingly.

"What are you thinking, Brat?"

She didn't flinch as she used to, but smiled up at him, leaning against his arm.

"Are you going to call me that till we're old? With our grand-children running around us?"

"I might." He gave her his tom-cat grin. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all, Jake, not at all."

And they walked on, two lovers basked in moonlight, the dust stirred up by their feet loving each other more than they thought possible.


End file.
